Armor Trims have been added to Minecraft in the 1.20 Trails & Tales update. They are cosmetic designs that players can add to their armor by using various Smithing Templates.
Armor in Minecraft used to be all about surviving hostile mobs. Now, it’s also a way to show off your creative flair, without losing any protective qualities. If you enjoy personalizing your adventures, this feature will keep your armor from blending in with everyone else’s.
To apply Armor Trim Smithing Templates in Minecraft, players will need to find the designs in chests or via Archaeology and then apply them to an armor piece via the Smithing Table. Additionally, these templates can be duplicated via the Crafting Table.
In this guide, I’ll share where to find every Armor Trim, how to duplicate them, how to apply them to your armor, and how to upgrade your gear to Netherite. You’ll also see a few tricks I picked up while experimenting in my own world.
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How to Find Armor Trim Smithing Templates in Minecraft
Armor Trims can appear in chests, through Archaeology, or by defeating certain mobs. Once you get your hands on a single Template, you can copy it to avoid the hassle of hunting for it again.
Below is an overview of all 19 Armor Trims, including the new Flow and Bolt Templates from the 1.21 update.
| Armor Trim Smithing Template | How to Get & Drop Chance |
|---|---|
| 1. Netherite Upgrade | Bastion Remnant (Chest) 10% in random chests, 100% in the central Treasure Chest |
| 2. Coast | Shipwreck (Chest) 16.7% |
| 3. Dune | Desert Temple (Chest) 14.3% |
| 4. Eye | Stronghold (Chest) 10% in random chests, 100% in Library Chest |
| 5. Rib | Nether Fortress (Chest) 6.7% |
| 6. Sentry | Pillager Outpost (Chest) 25% |
| 7. Silence | Ancient City (Chest) 1.2% |
| 8. Snout | Bastion Remnant (Chest) 8.3% |
| 9. Spire | End City (Chest) 6.7% |
| 10. Vex | Woodland Mansion (Chest) 50% |
| 11. Ward | Ancient City (Chest) 5% |
| 12. Wild | Jungle Temple (Chest) 33% |
| 13. Wayfinder | Trail Ruins (Archaeology) 8.3% |
| 14. Shaper | Trail Ruins (Archaeology) 8.3% |
| 15. Host | Trail Ruins (Archaeology) 8.3% |
| 16. Raiser | Trail Ruins (Archaeology) 8.3% |
| 17. Tide | Drops when Elder Guardians die 20% |
| 18. Flow | Inside the vault of Trial Chambers (requires ominous trial key). ~22.5% |
| 19. Bolt | Vault of Trial Chambers, after using the ominous trial key. ~5.4% |
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New Structures and Requirements (1.21 Update)
Trial Chambers: These are part of the fresh content introduced in 1.21. You’ll need an ominous trial key to open the vault, which can drop both the Flow and Bolt armor trims.
Elder Guardian Fights: The Tide Template is still one of the trickier ones to obtain. There’s about a 50% chance of it dropping once you defeat an Elder Guardian. The mob doesn’t have to be killed by the player specifically.
While these locations are for the Minecraft Java Edition, they are the exact same in Bedrock. The only difference is that there are slightly different drop chances in the Bedrock Edition.
Thankfully, you only have to find each Trim once, as there is a way to duplicate them.
How to Duplicate Smithing Templates
To duplicate Armor Trims in Minecraft, place them on a crafting table in the top middle slot. Place a Netherack block below it (center of the crafting table) and fill the remaining seven slots with Diamonds.
As you can see, duplicating is fairly expensive. However, it is consistent and thus the best way to get more Armor Trims.
Note: Each Template is consumed when you apply it to armor, so if you have a rare find (like Silence or Bolt), copying it first is a great idea.
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How to Use and Apply Armor Trims in Minecraft
To apply Armor Trims in Minecraft, you will need a Smithing Table and the following items:
- 1x Template – Choose whichever Armor Trim Smithing Template you want to use based on the design.
- 1x Armor Piece – Select the armor piece that you want to upgrade. I recommend starting with the chestplate, as the design is more visible. You can trim every armor piece in the game, including Leather Armor and the Turtle Helmet. You can’t trim the Elytra.
- 1x Material of your choice – These materials will influence the color of the design.
Thankfully, you can use a wide variety of materials to alter the color of your Armor Trim design. Here are all the Smithing Template materials you can use in Minecraft to alter the color of your armor set:
- Redstone
- Diamond
- Emerald
- Copper Ingot
- Diamond
- Iron Ingot
- Lapis Lazuli
- Quartz
- Netherite Ingot
- Amethyst Crystal
Each of these materials will give a different color, similar to the color of the materials. E.g., Redstone will make your trim a reddish color.
Note: Elytra can’t be trimmed, so focus on your regular armor slots.
Also read: How to Get Sniffers in Minecraft
How to Upgrade to Netherite Armor in Minecraft
The way to get Netherite Armor has changed and is now more expensive in the Trails & Tales update. To craft Netherite Armor in Minecraft, you’ll need the following materials:
- 1x Diamond Armor that you want to upgrade
- 1x Netherite Ingot
- 1x Smithing Template
In a Smithing Table, place the Smithing Template on the left, the armor in the middle slot, and the Netherite Ingot on the right slot. This will result in a Netherite Armor.
The difference from the previous version is that now you also need a Smithing Template.
Wrapping up
Armor Trims transform your gear into something that’s truly yours. Remember that each Template is consumed every time you trim an armor piece, so duplicating them can save a lot of trouble.
With 19 different Trims and over 100 possible color combinations, personalizing your gear has never been easier – or more fun. Feel free to mix and match to find the look that suits you best.
What’s your favorite Armor Trim and material combination? Personally, I love the look of the Netherite Armor with the Gold Ingot Spire Armor Trim. Feel free to share your favorite designs in the comments below.
Before leaving, consider also checking out our guide on how to find and tame a Camel.
He has a Master’s Degree in Philosophy, which allows him to always come up with a fresh approach to solving in-game puzzles and challenges, but also to create content that’s to the point, clean and easy to follow.
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